guide
ACA for media & publishing: requirements, priorities, and audit checklist
ACA compliance for media and publishing sites requires applying Accessible Canada Act to the specific failure points typical of the media & publishing industry — including auto-generated captions of poor quality, missing audio descriptions for visual content, inaccessible paywalls and subscription flows.
Does ACA apply to media and publishing sites?
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA, 2019) requires federally regulated entities — federal government, banks, telecom, broadcasting, transportation — to identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers, with the explicit goal of "a Canada without barriers by 2040" and detailed regulations layered on top including the ICT regulations referencing EN 301 549.
Media & Publishing accessibility — the lay of the land
Media organisations face dual obligations: WCAG accessibility for their digital surfaces and CVAA-style captioning rules for video. The EAA explicitly covers "audiovisual media services" and ebooks; streaming platforms operating in the EU must comply by 28 June 2025.
Where ACA bites hardest in media and publishing sites
• Auto-generated captions of poor quality
• Missing audio descriptions for visual content
• Inaccessible paywalls and subscription flows
• Inaccessible ebook formats
• Video players without keyboard control
Remediation priorities
• Video player and captioning
• Article content (semantic structure)
• Paywall, subscription, account flows
• Audio descriptions for video
• Ebook accessibility (EPUB Accessibility 1.1)
How to comply with ACA on a Media & Publishing site
1. Publish an accessibility plan: Every federally regulated entity must publish a multi-year accessibility plan, updated every three years.
2. Establish a feedback mechanism: Accept and respond to accessibility complaints.
3. File progress reports: Annual progress report between plans.
4. Meet technical ICT requirements: Reference EN 301 549 for digital products and services.
Sources
- Accessible Canada Act — Government of Canada
- FCC CVAA — FCC
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Cited answers. Sourced. Updated as standards and case law change.
Does ACA apply to media & publishing websites?
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA, 2019) requires federally regulated entities — federal government, banks, telecom, broadcasting, transportation — to identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers, with the explicit goal of "a Canada without barriers by 2040" and detailed regulations layered on top including the ICT regulations referencing EN 301 549.
What are the most common ACA failures in media and publishing sites?
Auto-generated captions of poor quality Missing audio descriptions for visual content Inaccessible paywalls and subscription flows
What conformance level should a media & publishing site target?
WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the consensus target for legal compliance and the level referenced by virtually every national accessibility law.
Are auto-captions enough for WCAG compliance?
Not consistently. WCAG 1.2.2 requires accurate captions. Auto-generated captions typically miss the accuracy bar (industry studies place YouTube auto-caption accuracy at ~70%) and are not considered sufficient by themselves. Human review or hybrid captioning is the standard remediation.
What does the CVAA require for online video?
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act requires full-length video programmed for TV and posted online to be captioned within prescribed timeframes. The FCC has issued implementing rules; video without captions can trigger enforcement.
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